Electric water-heater



B. F. WUBBENS, W. F. HUPP AND F. HEGEMAN.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYT. 1917.

1,322,860. lutI-nted Nov. 25, 191$).

I 61mm I troller being provided if'desired.

20 adapted for houshold use,

26- provide a water STATES IELITENT ome BENJAMIN r. wunssns, WILL-1AM r. "Burr, AND HENRY r. HEG'EMAN, or CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

' ELECTRIC WATER-HEATER.

' HEGEMAN,-citizens of the United States, rein the county of. have lnvented cer- 5 siding at Cedar Rapids,

Linn and State of Iowa, tain new and useful Improvements 1n Elec- 'tric Water HeaterS, of which the following is a specification. k

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in electr1c water heat- The-primary object of the invention is the provision of an easily regulated heater for 115' .waterv which employs electricity as the heating medium, an automatic temperature con-'- -A further object ofthe device is the pro-f, vision of a heater for the same being easy and inexpensive to manufacture and arranged for easil ture of the water eing heated.

A still further object of the device isto electrode means for controlling the temperature of the water,

in device being arranged for the boiler.

he figure of the drawin sented is a side elevation o the device operatively positioned with a' portion of-theboiler and thermostat shown in central vertical longitudinal section. The present drawing illustrates the pro- 85 vision of a boiler 10 filled with -water'11" from an inlet service pipe 12 positioned ad jacent the bottom thereof while an outlet 13 is arranged for the heated water in the top 14; of the boiler.

A binding post 15 is attached to the boiler '10-for electrical connection with a circuitv wire 16 while an electrode 17 in the form of a bar is slidably arranged axially of the boiler 10 through a stufling box 18 of insulating material and centrally positioned in the boiler top 14:. A circuit wire 19 is attached adjacent the outer end of the electrode'l'l.v while an operating handle 20 is arranged at the upper end thereof. It will be understood that with-the electrode 17 projected to its greatest extent outwardly of the stufiing box 18, only a weak flow of electric current wouldpass through the water 11 from the conductor 17 to the metallic boilerortank 10 while by forcing the conductor 17 in- Specificati'on of Letters Patent.

water. especially regulating the tempera-- boiler having a shiftable' a readily operable flush-fherewith pre- ,Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

Application filed May 7, 1917. Serial No. 167,022.

wardly of the boiler to the required extent, the flow of electricity through the water will be lncreased, producing the required heat for heating the water 11 to the desired temperature. A temperature scale 21 is preferably provided uponthe electrode 17 so that the latter by means of the handle 20 may be readily positioned to arrange any deslred temperature reading of thescale adacent the top plate 22 of the stufling box 18 and by allowing the same to remain in such position, the water in the boiler 10 will attain the temperature indicated.

A thermostat 23 is arranged for automatically controlling the amount of current supplled to the circuit wires 16 and 19, which latter wires, it will be understood, are in circuit with any desirable source of supply of'electricity (not shown). The thermostat 23 consists of a substantially Z-shaped form of tube extending within the water 11 through the side ofthe boiler 10 andhaving a vertical rod 28 mounted within the free end of the tube-for resting upon the fluid 24, such as mercury which is expanded and con- 80 tractedby-the temperature of the water 11.. Atermihal 26 is carried by and insulated from thegrod 23 and is provided with a circuit wire 25 while a further circuit wire-27 is connected with three contact blocks '28, 29 and 30 electrically connected together by suitable resistance 31. It will be understood that when the temperature of the water 11 lowers,gthe mercury 24 contracting, permitsthe rod 23 to descend, contacting the terminal 25with the block 30 for'cutting in thehighest amount of current to the circuit wires 16 and 19. When the temperature of the waterll rises, the rod 23 becoming elevated, positions the terminai 25 in contact with either the block 29 or 28 which by means 'of the resistance 31 correspondingly lowers the amount of electric current furnished to the circuit wires 16 and 19. A set screw 39 may be carried by the thermostat r circuitin the wires-16 and 19"that the temperature of the water 11 will be maintained substantially constant at the degree of temperature noted upon the scaleill at which the electrode 17 is set.

A flushing device 32 is provided for the boiler 10, being in the form of a receiver or can having connection wit-h the lower funnel-shaped bottom 33 of the boiler 10 by means of a connecting pipe 34 provided with a controlling valve 35 therein. An outlet pipe 36 is provided for the can 32 controlled by a suitable valve 37. It will be understood that the can 32 being readily emptied by opening the valve 37, upon closing the said valve and opening the valve 35, the

sediment from the tank bottom 33 will be drawn in to the can 32 and on closing the valve 35 and opening the valve 37, any such sediment is readily removed.

Insulating, connections 38 are provided in the pipes 12, 13 and 34 while it will be understood that the stufting box 18 is formed of insulating material so as to insulate the electrode 17'frorn the tank 10 permitting the operation thereof.

What we claim as new is An electric water heater including an upright elongated boiler having a bottom inlet and a top outlet for the water and provided with a side binding post. and abar electrode having a binding post at its outer end and vertically slidable into and out of the boiler substantially through the center of the top of the latter, said binding posts being in electrical connection through the electrode and the water, said electrode being insulated from the top of the boiler and being uniformly surrounded at its innnersed end by the water, whereby, the deeper the electrode is immersed, the lower down will be the application of heat with a corresponding increase in the rapidity of heating the water.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

BENJAMIN I WUBBENS. WILLIAM F. HUPP. HENRY F. HEGEMAN. 

